Character Development

What is the Biggest Mitzvah, What is the Biggest Sin?

1. “On Shabbat and holidays try not to speak of anything that isn’t extremely necessary. Even in those things be very brief for the holiness of the Shabbat is great…”

2. “One’s learning doesn’t become part of him without peace and tranquility.”

3. “Speech and character traits need a lot of practice and repetition.”

4. “The wicked one knows his path is evil and bitter but it’s hard for him to leave it.”

5. “Every moment a person closes his mouth he merits the hidden light that no angel or creation can imagine.”

6. “The main thing with which to merit the next world is to watch his speech. This is more important than the entire Torah and mitzvoth!”

7. “Therefore I warn you to try to sit alone because the sin of the tongue is greater than all other sins. I have no need to expound on this gravest of all sins. “All a person’s toil is for his mouth (Ecclesiastes 6, 7) our sages said that all the merit of his Torah learning and mitzvoth doesn’t make up the loss of the bad speech that leaves his lips.”

8. “And I beg of you very much to guide our daughters very much to not allow any curse, false oath or strife to leave their lips. All should be spoken with peace, love and affection.”

9. “Until the day of his death a person must punish himself, not with fasting and self-affliction but with controlling his mouth and this is repentance and all the fruit of the next world, worth more than any fast or self-affliction in the entire world.”

10. And I ask you my wife to honor my mother as the Torah says especially since she’s a widow and it’s a serious offense to cause her pain even with the slightest gesture. I also asked my mother to live with peace between both of you and each woman should gladden the heart of the other with good words and this is a great mitzvah for every person to do.”